Language/Faroese/Grammar/Verb-To-Be

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Faroese → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Verb To Be

Welcome to our lesson on the Faroese verb "to be," or vera! This verb is essential for forming sentences in Faroese, just as it is in English. Understanding how to use vera will open the door to expressing identity, existence, and states of being, which are fundamental concepts in any language.

In this lesson, we will explore the different forms of the verb vera in various tenses, and we'll learn how to construct affirmative, negative, and interrogative sentences. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to confidently use this vital verb in a multitude of contexts.

The Importance of the Verb "To Be"

The verb vera is crucial for beginners in Faroese as it lays the foundation for more complex sentence structures. It allows you to describe who you are, where you are, and how you feel. Without mastering this verb, it would be challenging to communicate effectively in Faroese.

Forms of the Verb "To Be"

The verb vera has several forms depending on the tense and the subject. Let's break it down:

Present Tense

In the present tense, vera is conjugated as follows:

Subject Faroese Pronunciation English
I eg eri [ɛɡ ˈɛri] I am
You (singular) tú ert [tuː ˈɛrt] You are
He hann er [han ˈɛr] He is
She hon er [hɔn ˈɛr] She is
We vit eru [vit ˈɛru] We are
You (plural) tit eru [tit ˈɛru] You are
They teir eru [tɛiːr ˈɛru] They are

Past Tense

In the past tense, the forms change slightly:

Subject Faroese Pronunciation English
I eg var [ɛɡ ˈvaːr] I was
You (singular) tú vart [tuː ˈvart] You were
He hann var [han ˈvaːr] He was
She hon var [hɔn ˈvaːr] She was
We vit vóru [vit ˈvøːru] We were
You (plural) tit vóru [tit ˈvøːru] You were
They teir vóru [tɛiːr ˈvøːru] They were

Future Tense

The future tense is formed differently. You can use a construction that includes the verb "to become," which is becoming:

Subject Faroese Pronunciation English
I eg fer at vera [ɛɡ fɛr at ˈvɛra] I will be
You (singular) tú fer at vera [tuː fɛr at ˈvɛra] You will be
He hann fer at vera [han fɛr at ˈvɛra] He will be
She hon fer at vera [hɔn fɛr at ˈvɛra] She will be
We vit fara at vera [vit ˈfaːra at ˈvɛra] We will be
You (plural) tit fara at vera [tit ˈfaːra at ˈvɛra] You will be
They teir fara at vera [tɛiːr ˈfaːra at ˈvɛra] They will be

Affirmative Sentences

Creating affirmative sentences in Faroese using vera is straightforward. Here are some examples:

Faroese Pronunciation English
Eg eri lærari. [ɛɡ ˈɛri ˈlɛːrari] I am a teacher.
Tú ert fólk. [tuː ˈɛrt ˈfoulk] You are a person.
Hann er lækni. [han ˈɛr ˈlɛkni] He is a doctor.
Hon er lærari. [hɔn ˈɛr ˈlɛːrari] She is a teacher.
Vit eru vinir. [vit ˈɛru ˈviːnir] We are friends.
Tit eru námsfrøðingar. [tit ˈɛru ˈnaumsfrøðiŋɡar] You are educators.
Teir eru ferðamenn. [tɛiːr ˈɛru ˈfæðaˌmɛn] They are travelers.

Negative Sentences

To make a sentence negative, you simply add ikkje (not) after the verb:

Faroese Pronunciation English
Eg eri ikki lærari. [ɛɡ ˈɛri ˈɪkːjɛ ˈlɛːrari] I am not a teacher.
Tú ert ikki fólk. [tuː ˈɛrt ˈɪkːjɛ ˈfoulk] You are not a person.
Hann er ikki lækni. [han ˈɛr ˈɪkːjɛ ˈlɛkni] He is not a doctor.
Hon er ikki lærari. [hɔn ˈɛr ˈɪkːjɛ ˈlɛːrari] She is not a teacher.
Vit eru ikki vinir. [vit ˈɛru ˈɪkːjɛ ˈviːnir] We are not friends.
Tit eru ikki námsfrøðingar. [tit ˈɛru ˈɪkːjɛ ˈnaumsfrøðiŋɡar] You are not educators.
Teir eru ikki ferðamenn. [tɛiːr ˈɛru ˈɪkːjɛ ˈfæðaˌmɛn] They are not travelers.

Interrogative Sentences

Forming questions in Faroese with vera is also quite simple. You typically switch the subject and the verb:

Faroese Pronunciation English
Er eg lærari? [ɛr ɛɡ ˈlɛːrari] Am I a teacher?
Er tú fólk? [ɛr tuː ˈfoulk] Are you a person?
Er hann lækni? [ɛr han ˈlɛkni] Is he a doctor?
Er hon lærari? [ɛr hɔn ˈlɛːrari] Is she a teacher?
Eru vit vinir? [ˈɛru vit ˈviːnir] Are we friends?
Eru tit námsfrøðingar? [ˈɛru tit ˈnaumsfrøðiŋɡar] Are you educators?
Eru teir ferðamenn? [ˈɛru tɛiːr ˈfæðaˌmɛn] Are they travelers?

Practice Exercises

Now that we've laid the groundwork for using vera, let's put your knowledge to the test with some exercises.

1. Conjugate the verb "to be" in present tense for the subject "I."

  • Answer: eg eri

2. Translate to Faroese: "You are happy."

  • Answer: Tú ert gladur.

3. Make the sentence negative: "He is a student."

  • Answer: Hann er ikki næmingur.

4. Form a question: "Are we teachers?"

  • Answer: Eru vit lærarar?

5. Translate to English: "Hon er ikki lærari."

  • Answer: She is not a teacher.

6. What is the past tense form for "they are"?

  • Answer: Teir vóru.

7. Fill in the blank: "I _____ a student." (Use the correct form of "to be.")

  • Answer: eg eri

8. Translate to Faroese: "You (plural) are not tired."

  • Answer: Tit eru ikki føtt.

9. Change the sentence to negative: "She is a doctor."

  • Answer: Hon er ikki lækni.

10. Create an affirmative sentence using "we."

  • Answer: Vit eru vinir.

Detailed Solutions and Explanations for Exercises

1. The present tense form of "to be" for "I" is eg eri.

2. "You are happy" translates to Tú ert gladur, where "gladur" is the masculine form of "happy."

3. To negate "He is a student," you say Hann er ikki næmingur.

4. To ask if "we are teachers," we use the verb vera in the interrogative form: Eru vit lærarar?

5. The translation of "Hon er ikki lærari" is "She is not a teacher," showing the negation of the verb.

6. The past tense for "they are" is Teir vóru.

7. The correct form to fill in is eri, as in "I am a student."

8. "You (plural) are not tired" becomes Tit eru ikki føtt, where "føtt" means "tired."

9. You make "She is a doctor" negative by adding "ikki": Hon er ikki lækni.

10. A simple affirmative sentence could be Vit eru vinir, meaning "We are friends."

In conclusion, mastering the verb vera is a stepping stone in your Faroese language journey. With practice and application, you'll find yourself forming sentences with ease. Keep practicing, and soon enough, you'll be comfortably conversing in Faroese!

Table of Contents - Faroese Course - 0 to A1


Greetings and Introductions


Pronouns and Verb To Be


Numbers and Time


Present Tense and Regular Verbs


Family and Relationships


Adjectives and Comparatives


Food and Dining


Possessives


Travel and Transportation


Questions and Negation


Hobbies and Interests


Prepositions


Faroese Customs and Traditions


Weather and Seasons


Past Tense


Faroese Literature and Folklore

Sources


Other Lessons



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